Los Angeles County’s coronavirus stay-at-home orders won’t be ending anytime soon, according to one official who said “with all certainty” that they will extend through the next three months.
Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday that the orders will likely extend through July or August, according to the L.A. Times, adding that restrictions will be “gradually relaxed” under a five-step plan should the orders last through the summer.
“Our hope is that by using the data we’d be able to slowly lift restrictions over the next three months,” she said. “But without widely available therapeutic testing for the coronavirus or rapid at-home testing versions that would allow people to test themselves daily, it seems unlikely that restrictions would be completely eased.”
“We are being guided by science and data that will safely move us forward along the road to recovery in a measured way—one that allows us to ensure that effective distancing and infection control measures are in place,” Ferrer continued, going on to say that local officials are counting on public compliance when it comes to relaxing restrictions.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger expressed hopes on Tuesday that there would be an easing of restrictions in the coming weeks. “I am eager to reopen more of L.A. County as soon as it’s safe to do so, in collaboration with our health experts, community leaders, businesses and residents, with best practices in place to ensure our overall health and well-being. These decisions will be guided by the latest science and data collected,” she said. “I’m confident that the more our communities continue to comply, the sooner we can resume normalcy.”
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti agreed with her, saying that city officials will begin adjusting orders to allow more activities as soon as they are able to. “We’re not moving past COVID-19, we’re learning to live with it — and we will keep taking measured steps toward a new, safer reality in the days and weeks ahead,” he said.
L.A. County, which is the most populous county in the U.S., has already begun easing some restrictions. Places like retail shops and golf courses have been permitted to reopen as long as they adhere to certain rules, and hiking trails and beaches are set to reopen today with various social distancing measures in place.
This piece was written by PoliZette Staff on May 13, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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